Until your eyes don't shine
by Gaahina chan
Summary: Konoha is in war. NejixIno. R
1. Chapter 1

**Gaahina chan: so this is a different environment. It is one of a tragedy and pain. I'm sorry if I don't describe too much but I'm doing my best, so please bear with me. NejixIno all the way.**

**Disclaimer: If I did own Naruto, I wouldn't post my fantasies in fan fiction.**

_**Until your eyes don't shine**_

_**Chapter 1**_

_**By Gaahina chan**_

In the Academy, I wasn't very preoccupied. I used to focus my total attention in defeating Sakura and catch Sasuke for myself. I didn't paid attention to the missions because they were too easy to finish. Reason to why I was called the stronger kunoichi in the chuunin exams. But then, when we were growing up, and missions got more complicated, I paid more attention to my abilities. The truth was, that the weaker ones in the past, were passing my strength easily. And I didn't like it.

I began to focus in my capacities. I trained hard with Shikamaru who had reached chuunin level. I was getting stronger, but then I saw that even when I was training, the others too trained harder. So I went to Tsunade, to train under her control, just like Sakura. I learned medical abilities and I also mastered my bloodline technique, the mind transfer jutsu. I was happy because my parents were proud of me and I reached the chuunin level rapidly.

At the age of 18, I became a jounin, along with the other rookie nine. We were Konoha's pride, for gaining such power and abilities at such an age. Still, I couldn't ignore the risk of our missions. We were always in A ranked missions, who had a very high risk of dying. At that time I knew that any of my friends could die.

And then it came. A war started and it hadn't finish. I'm still alive because of those friends who protected me, against my will. I didn't want to end like this. This time of battles and deaths has been so terrific. I could clearly remember how my mother died. I couldn't say goodbye. I just saw her, dead, lying in the bed with much blood, her eyes wide open. It was then that the idea that I could lose everything could happen. I was in shock, and the house was in fire, so I couldn't do anything, until father saved me.

He also too, risked his life for me. He and Shikamaru's father were battling against big men with huge weapons. But they got carried away by a bomb and I couldn't see if he was still alive.

Shikamaru and I were doing our best. But, he also died because of me. He was my best friend in the entire world yet I couldn't prevent anything. He was so strong for me only to keep me alive. He said he wanted to protect me at all cost. I couldn't stand it. When the bomb was shot towards him, he turned to me and said that he loved me, carrying his body away, and then I just fell to the floor. He had used the last of his power to strangle the man with his shadow technique, only to save me. The pain was unbearable. Physically and mentally, I was destroyed, and I thought I would die. Slowly but painfully, tears started to run down my eyes. And I screamed for help, for someone to help me. Then all I saw was fire in the distance, slowly consuming my breaths.

I woke up when Sakura healed me. She was badly hurt, but she didn't care. We stayed one day together. She said she had to go back to Naruto, who was in Kyuubi state. She said that she'll be fine, that she could take care of it. I didn't believe her. Her smile was fake, and her eyes were tearful. That was the last time I saw her. I pray for her to be alive.

-o-

They called me a genius. I was the genius of the Hyuuga clan, because I mastered all the techniques and jutsus of my family. Sometimes it was a bother, to be called like that, even when you couldn't save the ones you love. I always trained to surpass the head of the clan. So I didn't care too much for the ones I love. After some time, I reached the ANBU, and then I knew that I was wrong. A war came.

I always supported my teammates, but I couldn't enjoy the moments that were to be kept deep in my heart. I regret it. I was so selfish, so blind. How ironic because I have the byakugan. Now I'm standing alone.

That day, we were supposed to train. I waited for them for some time but when I felt a tremble not too far away, I knew that something was about to happen. I activated my byakugan and saw how Tenten was dealing with a lot of men with monstrous chakra. I helped her in fighting but then she got carried away by a man in black robes. I took care of the rest of the ninjas with some difficulties and then I headed to the direction were Tenten disappeared.

I was badly injured so I was slow. I clenched my teeth for being so weak at the moment. The enemy was very strong. I feared the worst and then I saw a figure not too far away. The chakra flow was very weak. It seemed that the person could die at any moment. I then carried myself to the clearing and saw that the whole battle zone was decorated by Tenten's weapons. I turned to the body whose chakra was depleting and saw the man dying slowly. Then I turned around and saw what I didn't want to see.

Tenten was lying on her back. Her eyes were opened and in her hand she had a kunai. Blood was coming out from a deep wound in her stomach. I then checked her pulse, although I knew it was useless. I knew that she was gone. I hit hard the ground, making it crush. I could feel pain in my chest, so I did my best to not let me down. I took her bridal style and went to the memorial rock.

There, I dig a hole and then I stared at her. She was my best friend and I let her die like this. I let a few tears roll down my cheeks and then I got angry with myself because of breaking the first rule. But then I didn't care because she was worth it. She was one of the people I loved and treasured deeply. I closed her eyes and kissed her cheek. I buried her with the kunai to show that she fought to protect Konoha, just like a ninja should die. I wrote her name on the stone and went away. I didn't want to let another person die.

In the distance, I saw a cloud of smoke and I felt an even greater chakra than before. Its pressure was so big that my weak body couldn't stand it. I activated the byakugan to see something unexpected. It was Naruto, but in a rather different state. He had this red chakra flowing around him, and four tails were evident. His eyes were wild and his cheek scars were larger. In a second, I got carried away by his chakra and then I landed on the forest. Then my sight went black.

-o-

Ino sighed and then she went out of the cave where she had stayed. She felt rather capable of fighting. Her chakra had recovered and her wounds were healed. She cautiously walked into the forest. It seemed darker and horrible. The sun was setting but she knew that she had to help Sakura. She scanned the area by stopping her movements and felt the breeze of air, hearing the bomb shots not too far away, and smelling the scent of grass that surrounded the secluded place.

She walked slowly to make sure that her movements didn't make a sound. She stepped onto the trees and started running on them towards Konoha; it was pointless to go slow because she knew that there were more of her friends and comrades in danger. When she was about to reach the gates, she felt a very high chakra pressure. She putted her arms in front of her face in a defensive manner, but the power was too much. When she couldn't take it, she tripped from the branch and she quickly accumulated chakra on her feet to not fall down from the tree.

Somehow, Ino was grateful that she was in this position, because if she wasn't upside down, she wouldn't have seen the injured konoha ninja not too far away. She landed on the ground and observed the area to check if there were enemies. She didn't saw anyone.

She walked towards the dying form and then she recognized him as Hyuuga Neji. He was badly injured. His left arm was bruised and blood was spilling out of his knuckles. His forehead had this Konoha protector damped with blood and you could see a trail of blood rolling down his pale face. His legs also had some trauma and it seemed as his chakra was the only thing that kept him alive.

Ino walked over to him and started roaring her fingers to wake him up but the Hyuuga was unconscious. Ino sighed and then she started thinking. She knew that she couldn't heal him here, they were too exposed and the chakra pressure was also very harming. With all the possible care, she lifted his limp body and took him to the cave where she had stayed. His breathing was a bit shallow but its rhythm was normal. She took that as a positive sign.

When they arrived at the cave, she carefully placed him on the ground, not letting his bruises touch the rough rocks. She started pulling off his shirt when she felt him tense. His ninja reflexes were too precise. It was as if he could detect danger. Anyway, she knew that he was way too exhausted to wake up so she went for some water to clean his wounds.

When she got back, she cut a piece of her skirt and soaked it with the water. Slowly and caringly she cleaned the blood that covered his pale body. When she directed her gaze towards his chest wounds, she checked his heartbeat. It seemed that it was very fast, so she applied some chakra to stabilize his already tired heart. In seconds, all his wounds were perfectly cleaned.

Ino brushed away the sweat on her forehead and went for some leaves. She knew that if she used cloth pieces to stop the bleeding from his wounds she would be naked at last. She soaked the large leaf and covered the wound with it, applying a bit of pressure. Neji made a strange sound but he didn't wake up. Ino continued her healing and when she was done, she covered his body with his already cleaned shirt because it was soaked with blood.

Ino waited for him to wake up. She knew that she couldn't leave him here. When her eyelids started falling down, she realized that she was tired because of her loss of chakra that she used to heal Neji. She stood up and made a chakra barrier that camouflaged the entrance of the cave. She sat down and closed her eyes.

-o-

Neji's eyes opened slowly only to reveal a rocky ceiling. His eyes turned to the entrance of what seemed a cave. It was covered with a special barrier jutsu. Then he knew that someone was or protecting him, or keeping him to kidnap or something like that. He turned to the slow breathing sound and saw that there was a blonde Konoha kunoichi. He observed her and recognized her as Yamanaka Ino. Her arms simply laid on her lap while her legs were fully extended and her head was to the side, resting on the rocky wall.

When he was about to stand up, he flinched at the rush of pain that travelled all over his body. He then knew that he didn't have any blood trail at all. His wounds were cleaned and perfectly healed but the pain was that of the muscular one. He examined all of his body to see if there was any sign of disease but he confirmed that indeed the work of the kunoichi was well done.

Neji carefully putted on his shirt and turned to the sleeping kunoichi. She seemed very sleepy at the moment so he let her rest after what she had done to him. He tried to get out but the pain was unbearable so he sat down and waited for the kunoichi to wake up.

-o-

**Gaahina chan: so I don't know how many chapters I'm going to make but anyway, please review. Constructive criticism is also welcomed.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Gaahina chan: Hey! This is chapter two. Please enjoy. Forgive me for my grammar.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

_**Until your eyes don't shine**_

_**Chapter 2**_

_**By Gaahina chan**_

She woke up to the sound of raging explosions in the surroundings. It was as if hearing fireworks in a festival, but instead, blood, bodies and death were the special of the day. She couldn't cope with the feeling that she might die as well. It was frightening to have these thoughts of horrible possible deaths. The fact that her mother and best friend died didn't help either. She could see the images haunting her in her dreams, keeping her afraid in the days, always appearing everywhere.

Afraid of what she might see, she remained her eyes closed. She felt someone moved near her so she tensed and quickly prepared for the worst. As if on instinct, she grabbed a kunai and opened her eyes. Her hands trembled and the futile try to scare the occupant of her temporal shelter didn't make him blink. His eyes stared at her passively as if examining her. He travelled her face with these strange yet captive eyes of his. She then remembered who this person was inside. She remembered that she had saved him.

Ino directed her gaze to the Hyuuga. His robes were in place not like she left them to cover him up. His hair wasn't messy as she thought it would be and his face was a one of anger. He was testing his arms by making some movements to reduce the muscular pain. He flinched when he tried to pull himself up into a sitting position. Quickly, he grabbed his stomach and sensed that she was looking at him.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't do anything with the muscular pain. It might disappear in a few hours."

He stared at her unemotionally. Ino couldn't read his face. It was as if looking at a moving wall. Ino stood up and helped him get up too. He was much taller than her. His expression was serious. He had this long, black and silky hair.

"It doesn't matter, I'm accustomed" he said turning to the entrance. Yet Ino knew in the back of her mind that he was still in pain because some of the overused tendons and ligaments. She then directed her gaze to the outside. You could see smoke in the distance. The bomb shots were sounding nearby. Ino's expression turned into a worried one. She didn't want to think of what could happen to Sakura or her father or any of her comrades. They were the most precious thing to her in the world. She didn't know what it would be to lose any of them, not after what happened a few hours ago.

"We have to escape from here. There are too many men for both of us. And they seem very strong" Neji said scanning the area with his byakugan.

"But we have to find the others. They could be alive!" Ino shouted out loud as if trying to convince herself that nothing wrong was going to happen.

"First we have to find some shelter to regain all of our power. I can see that you are still tired. And the fact that you had nightmares proves it also" He said as a matter of factly, a stern look in his pale face. Ino nodded under his gaze. She didn't want to lose anyone anymore.

Neji one last time scanned the area and traced a path were they wouldn't be discovered. He made a sign to Ino to follow him closely in a very fast speed. They ran in the ground, evading any kind of rustling bushes or trunks that could blow their escape. Ino tried to ignore the bombs, but the images kept coming and coming. She gasped and Neji turned to her. She nodded apprehensively and he remained running.

They could feel the enemy very near. Their huge swords scrapping each other to make them sharper and slice their bodies slowly. Ino's hands started to tremble, but when the thought of her being so weak appeared in her mind, her whole attitude changed. Her eyes turned into ones of determination. Her hands stopped shaking and her speed increased. Neji felt Ino's confidence growing so he sped up his pace.

As they were running, Neji's byakugan detected chakra bodies very near. There were two. Their velocity was even more rapid than his. He gritted his teeth. If they were enemies, the idea of fighting wasn't very good. They both had not too much chakra and his muscles didn't get the well deserved rest in that uncomfortable cave.

Ino noticed Neji's abrupt change of emotion so she turned back and saw what she didn't want to see. Two men where chasing them very closely. Her eyes told her that they were strong. They didn't have huge weapons like the other men. Instead they wore simple ninja robes and their exposed skin was covered in bandages. Ino and Neji stopped because they knew that escaping wasn't an option. The men looked at them closely. As if being tested, Ino felt the pressure of an upcoming battle arising. Her mind state was not very trustworthy now so she decided that it would only depend in direct fighting or ninja weapons. Neji on the other side was fine in mind state but his muscles and wasted tendons didn't help him.

Ino saw that one man advanced at her so she tried to dodge his punches but his attacks were very fast. When his punch connected with her stomach, she flew away into a tree. She gasped and then she ran to him, making some shadow clones to confuse him. The three Ino's advanced in a fast motion with full potential kicks that every now and then connected with him but didn't make damage at all.

The clones parted away from the man when his chakra was visible around him. It was a strange mixture of green chakra, as if one of a medical ninja. The man took out some small needles and powered them with a bunch of chakra. He then threw them towards Ino but she deflected his attack with some kunai. The man smirked and Ino didn't know what was happening. When the man threw more needles and Ino more kunai, she was surprised that the needles were able to literally perforate the kunai with such easiness. She jumped to dodge the needles but one landed on her arm. She flinched and grabbed her swollen arm. The needle made a little point in her skin and the surrounding area was covered in red. Then she felt the worst pain that she had ever felt in all her entire life.

She screamed in pain and Neji, who saw all this, tried to block all the upcoming needles with his Kaiten. Both men turned into a serious expression. They didn't know that the Hyuuga had this kind of techniques. They both nodded to themselves and made some seals that changed the landscape. The trees that surrounded the area were falling down quickly. Huge sharp pointed rocks appearing instead. The rocky landscape surrounded them like a mouse cage.

Neji clenched his fists. The range of space was little. They were trapped with this powerful men and he did not have much chakra to perform his 64 palm jutsu. Not that he was able because of the closed space. He turned to Ino, who was applying some chakra to her wound. She seemed with more chakra than him, so that made him get an idea. He positioned himself with the Hyuuga gentle fist stance. He turned to the other man who was supposed to attack him. He was motionless. Then Neji felt something pounding on his head. It was Ino's voice.

"_You hear me?"_

"_Yes. I have an idea. You have much more chakra than me. Let's work together"_

"_Okay. What is the plan?"_

"_Perform a genjutsu, it doesn't matter which one. Change the landscape for a very small amount of time, so that I can perform my jutsu to trap them"_

"_What are you going to do?"_

"_I'm going to make a barrier like the one of a Kaiten, but I instead I will trap them inside, so that they won't escape and receive some damage"_

"_You can do that? What about you?"_

"_When you change the landscape, I'll make a clone and hide. The clone will do everything. I just need a little time because my chakra isn't very powerful, but it is enough to make this technique. Understand?"_

"_Okay"_

As they were about to move, Ino made some hands signs that made the enemy stop their movements. Ino, after finishing the signs put her hand on the ground and made some trees and a huge waterfall appear in the surroundings. Both attackers turn to her and tried to attack, but by that time, Neji had already made his clone and was very fast to corner them. He made some chakra rays that came out of his fingertips and directed them to the enemies, trapping them in a little chakra bubble. Both ninjas tried to escape but the rays were as sharp as a kunai and the chakra pressure was suffocating. They both started to cough blood because of the power emanating from the rays. Neji started to get weak and the enemies didn't appear to be that affected. He started to see blurry and his byakugan was hard to keep activated.

Ino noticed the depleting of Neji's chakra. So she decided to attack too. She made these hands signs and quickly her mind transferred to one of the men because they were unable to move. Inside the man's head, Ino saw his memories come back and she couldn't decipher anything. She tried to control him but he was strong. She increased her chakra control and the man was getting weaker and weaker by seconds. She then grabbed the other man and started punching him with all her force. Neji who saw all this, decided to keep the jutsu a little more.

Ino started to feel Neji's jutsu getting into her, so she decided that it was enough. With a final punch on the man's head, she came out of the man's head and back to her own body. Ino started to ran to Neji because the jutsu was beginning to fade away. She grabbed Neji by his shoulders because he was weak and started to run away. Both men fell down. They turned to see their enemies but Neji and Ino were very far away.

-o-

Neji opened his eyes to see Ino's blue ones. She had this concerned face and then the past came back to him.

"Where are the other two shinobis?" He said adjusting himself. He was more or less fine physically, but his chakra was very low.

"We defeated them Neji. Thanks to your plan" Ino smiled at this. She liked the feeling of working together with him.

"You also made your part. I didn't know you had that ability. To transfer from your body to another one"

"It's my bloodline. I can do the mind transfer jutsu whenever I want, that is unless the target is moving. You trapped them so I took advantage of that." Ino helped him get a sitting position. He wasn't that heavy, yet his muscles made him a bit heavier than his normal weight.

Neji felt this strange sensation inside of him. Like a one of warm and care. She had taken care of him for two times and she wasn't even preoccupied of her own healthiness. She was giving him all the attention she had. If she hadn't appeared yesterday, he would be dead by now. He smiled and she smiled too. She knew that he didn't smiled much so she was happy that he actually smiled at her.

"You look better when you smile Neji" she said sitting beside him. She was tired too. Her chakra also was low and the pain of the attacker's needle hadn't dissipated at all.

She grabbed her arm and Neji noticed that she was in pain. He looked at her, and she shook her head.

"I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about" she said assuring him. Neji then tried to activate his byakugan but Ino stopped him. "What are you doing?! If you do that you will faint because of chakra loss." She said almost shouting. Neji nodded and then he started checking the place where they were.

"Where are we?"

"You were a bit heavy, so I couldn't travel too far with you on my back. So maybe we will have to find a better place to stay" Neji felt a bit ashamed. She had to carry him two times all alone and he couldn't help but feel a bit weak.

"You are not weak Neji. Besides, if it wasn't for you, I would be dead" She said as if she had read his thoughts. Ino gasped at Neji's "surprised" expression. "I'm sorry! I'm new with this ability and I just responded. I didn't mean to invade your mind" she said a bit embarrassed. Neji nodded and decided to drop the theme.

He then started to close his eyes. He began to think about his comrades. Was Lee alive? Was Gai alive? What about Hinata sama? Then he started to panic like Ino did in the afternoon. He had these strange images of him dying and seeing how the treasured ones for him also died slowly. He shook a bit his head. He wasn't dead. He was with Ino now, so it didn't help to worry about the others. He knew that they were strong so that relieved him a little, but not at all. He was now determined to protect Ino. Although she was loud, nosy and a bit frustrating, she had used her abilities to protect him too. And he was thankful. Also she was his comrade and he would risk his life for any of his teammates. She proved that she also was determined to do that.

Neji turned to her. She was sleeping. She seemed very calm at times, but he knew that her normal self was a young woman with over expressing emotions that could explode at any time. He remembered the time when she seduced him in the forest of death. He laughed a little about this. Her hot face when he rejected her was priceless. Ino then felt Neji moving so she opened her eyes.

"Did I wake you up?"

"Dumb. I was awake all the time. I can't sleep with these images in my head" she said looking at the ground. Shikamaru…was he with her now? Was he toying with her hair like he did in the past? She didn't feel him. She felt numb. All she could think about now was of how would she would survive all this trouble. She was all alone now. She didn't know if neither Sakura nor his father was alive. She started shaking, images of her mother motionless was a very depressing thought. She began to cry silently. She was all alone, all alone by herself. She was going to die alone and that depressed her very much. She then gasped as Neji did an unexpected thing. He grabbed her by the shoulders and put her head on his chest. She started crying on him, as if he was the only thing she could depend on now. She then shook her head. The feeling of being with Neji was something. It was as if a wave of heat passed through her. She knew now that she wasn't alone. She had Neji. She had _her _Neji. He was all she had now. She then moved her head away from him. She felt that she was invading his personal space.

Neji didn't know why he did that. He felt that she was in pain like him, so he decided to comfort her. Not that Neji's ways of comforting were always hugging but he felt that he needed it too. Ino was his only company now. She made him feel protected, safe, and warm inside. In all his entire life, he hadn't felt something like this before. Perhaps, it was a new feeling for him. He then looked at her eyes. She was still crying. Her blue eyes were red now. With his fingers, he delicately closed her eyes and then he looked at her face. He didn't know why, but he felt this push in the back of his head that made him lean closer to her.

_Perhaps this is a new feeling. _

Ino felt Neji's calloused fingers close her eyes. She cried silently and then something surprised her. Neji's soft lips were against her own. He tightened his grip on her back. He too closed his eyes and then she grabbed the front of his shirt. She cried more now. She felt loved and she did felt safe with him. She didn't know if she loved him but she knew that she liked being with him.

She stopped crying and Neji separated himself. Staring at each other, they realized that the only thing they had was each other.

_Perhaps they were falling in love._

-o-

**Gaahina chan: So maybe I'm a little bit repetitive with the phrases like she would die for him and stuff. But I had to put how they think about each other. Please forgive me if there's a lack of imagination but, both of them are alone and depressed and that made them attracted to each other. That's my logic. A little dumb yeah. Well I hope you liked it. Next chapter will be better. Please review. Bye.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Gaahina chan: So this is chapter 3. Sorry if I rushed the story but, in my mind I pictured the story like this. Please cope with it. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I just use them to create my fantasies. **

_**Until your eyes don't shine**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**by Gaahina chan**_

She was mesmerized with the view in front of her. The sun was setting slowly; the pale colors that surrounded the almost cloudy sky adorned the sight very much. Pink and yellow mixed with purple along with the blue that was starting to gain territory. The moon which was appearing to the other side of the sky was starting to shine and cover the night sky with its brilliantness. Stars started to sparkle and Ino couldn't help but giggle. She loved the feeling when the stars appeared for the first time in the day and the fact that she was here, with _him_, made it better.

It has been 3 weeks since then. To their disappointment, they haven't met anyone in the course. Still, the fact that no enemies have found them was a good thing. They were now at full capacity to fight but they couldn't ignore that they were few for a total crew. Last time they got lucky that there were only two but now they feared that a whole army could trap them. In that matter Neji was very effective. With his byakugan, he traced a path that didn't have any crew on the course. Ino was grateful about that. Although they knew that the possibility to find anyone was minimum, they still have faith in the abilities of the other ninjas to survive.

Ino snapped to reality as a droplet touch her shoulder. She looked up to the sky and saw that the clouds had gathered into an ugly stormy sky. Ino was afraid of thunder, but she wouldn't let some weather features scare her. She saw Neji calling her so she went to him.

"I see people coming this way. They might be enemy because I see that strange chakra that the other man had" Neji said. He looked at Ino to see any sign of fear but she didn't show any. "Might as well take another route" she said confidently. They started to run, Neji in the front and Ino following him, not losing the sight of his back.

As they ran in the rain, Ino started to wonder how Neji felt about them. Since that day, he hasn't said anything about the kiss, or the fact that they hugged for all night until they woke up. She felt that she belonged with him. No one in her whole life made her feel like he did in that faithful night. She was conscious that she was falling for him. Not only because of his worry of that night, but also because he was very handsome, strong and she loved the little things she knew about him. She knew that he cared too much for the people of Konoha. Although she didn't want to, numerous times she heard his thoughts about how his precious ones were. Like if they were alive and things like that. She also loved the fact that he cared about his appearance like her. He never left his hair messy in front of anyone. He was neat and very conservative. He spoke when it was needed and he has those characteristic eyes of his. They were like pale, taunting gems that expressed emotions when he wanted. The only chance that she has got to see those emotive eyes was when they hugged. He had this care and peacefulness, along with some surprise in them. She didn't know if it was love but she hope for it.

Ino turned her head away from his back. Thinking about him only made her fall even more. She didn't know if what he did was for comfort or because he wanted to. She didn't have the courage to ask him because she feared that she would ruin their relationship. Sometimes, she wished that she could speak with him, to tell him her worries, her likings, the things she liked about him and the things she hated about herself. She didn't care if he never said anything. She knew that it was the way he was.

He was like the total opposite of her. He was quiet, strong, never explosive and very conservative. She was like a princess waiting for her prince to come rescue her from this pain. She was loud, careless and over reactive. The thought that they were so different scared her. Maybe he wasn't interested at all. Maybe he just did it because of pity. But then, he wouldn't waste his compassion and comprehension if that was the case. He wouldn't have kissed or embrace her so protectively. He wouldn't let her feel these things every time she looked at him or thought about him, or imagined him touching her…

Ino shook her head furiously. She knew that being paranoid was one of her bad qualities but right now wasn't the time for it. She decided to drop the matter and concentrate in finding some other ninjas.

To Ino's ignorance, Neji had seen all her dilemma with his byakugan. He didn't know why she was so disturbed. She seemed very preoccupied about something. He assumed that it wasn't because of her teammates because he knew that she would be depressed. But right now, she seemed upset rather than sad. He started wondering what was in her mind. He believed that she was a complex person. She had seen many thoughts through her ability. But, what about her? What were her thoughts in a fight? When escaping? When she was with a friend? When she was with _him_?

Somehow, Neji knew that everything would change after what happened. Kissing her wasn't his intention. He only wanted to lessen her pain by assuring her that she wasn't alone. But at the end, he realized that he liked the feeling, when he was with her. The brush of her lips against his was like stopping time. He couldn't believe what a simple thing could create inside of him. He wondered if she felt the same way.

Neji couldn't deny the possibility that she was troubled because of what happened. Maybe it was the result of not talking about it. He also was starting to get paranoid. He wanted to believe that she liked him. That she liked being with him. But now that she was so quiet, he wasn't so sure. His byakugan told him that she didn't regret the kiss. But what if it was because she was depressed and she couldn't hang on anybody else? What if he was some sort of temporal feeling to recover her lost? He started to feel anxiety and a little weak because of his thoughts about her.

What was she making inside of him?

Neji came back to reality as water came pouring harder. He spotted a nice place to sleep so he lessened his velocity and made a sign for Ino to do the same. They landed and started to make some genjutsus for their hiding. Ino sat down and sighed as she saw how a black cloud covered the forest. Harsh rain fell down making Ino shiver in discomfort. She liked rain but not storms. She closed her eyes and noticed Neji was staring at her. He looked like he wanted to say something.

"I don't like storms. So please bear with my weakness" she said angrily. She didn't want to appear weak in front of him but she couldn't help it.

Neji stare at her intently. She was beautiful he noted. Her clothes were damp so she must be freezing. At this point, Neji's heart started beating a little faster. His mind pictured him embracing her, warming her. Like if they were just one, all alone.

Instinctively he stood up and Ino looked at him. His pale eyes remained focusing on her blue ones. It was as if looking at the sky itself. He could see the free birds flying through that vast sky. He could feel himself drawing near her. His foot started to move by themselves. He felt his chest being perforated by his pounding heart. The image of Ino's eyes widening slowly came to him. He kneeled in front of her, not breaking eye contact. She tried to move but he put his hands on her shoulders. She made this unbelieving look that made him a little nervous. Slowly but aware of it, Neji pressed his chest against hers. He let his hands fell down to her waist, tracing her curves. Ino's eyes started to close and he looked at her. She looked so peaceful so beautiful to him that it made him want to just hold her and kiss her. But he needed to know.

"I want you" he said simply.

She opened her eyes and tears pleaded to come out of her eyes but she wouldn't let them. Ino decided to make a move. Her hands slowly lifted from her lap to his cheeks. His eyes never left hers. He needed to know what was she feeling. He desperately wanted to hear something from her pink lips.

"I think I'm falling for you" she said, her mouth covering his. He pulled her closer and then he ran his hands through her back and hair. She touched the nape of his neck and then she set free those beautiful black strings that came out of his head like a dark waterfall. Her lips crushed his in a desperate attempt to never lose each other. She ran her fingers through his hair pulling him closer, if possible. He grabbed her shoulders to hold her firmly against his already hot body. He felt this strange yet exciting sensation travelling his entire body. He knew now that he loved her. He didn't know how but this woman made him want her so badly that it hurt to be away from her. He loosened the tie of her ponytail and let his weight fall over her making them fall down into the ground. Ino ran her tongue between his lips and he hungrily ran his tongue through her sweet mouth. She tasted so wonderful that he didn't care that they were so wet and dirty. He loved being with her. He wanted to be with her forever and protect her with his own life. Ino too felt the same and as their lungs pleaded for air they separated each other.

They gasped and looked at each other. Between breaths, Neji let out what he was feeling without thinking.

"Marry me" Ino looked at him like he was crazy yet the truth in his eyes told her that he was serious. "I don't know how, but I love you. I want you to be with me forever. We could marry and be forever together. I'll promise to protect you and love you with everything I have. Please"

"Neji I-"she put her hands in his cheeks. "Are you sure? We barely know each other… Yet I feel the same…and I mean I love you but, what if we are wrong? It is too soon to do something like that!"

"If we love each other then everything else doesn't matter! Time won't wait for us. We are in a war, we could die! This is just, you and me, and, I… have never felt this before. You caught my heart with your actions; the support that in my entire life I didn't receive. You were there when I needed help and now… I have fallen in love with you…" Neji's breath was agitated. He was very nervous. He didn't have a ring or a romantic dinner. He just had this tremendous love inside of him that could make him a very happy man or a destroyed human.

Ino smiled and Neji looked at her dumbfounded. "I too, want to share my life with you Hyuuga Neji. I promise to love you and protect you with my life. That our love will not die even if we leave this world. I will always have you within my heart. For whatever matter, I'll always be with you in mind, soul and heart" she said laughing a little. Her heart was beating so fast that she was afraid that it could kill her.

Neji couldn't believe his ears. She had accepted. They were now a marriage couple. Husband and wife. He felt as if he was dreaming but he was conscious. He embraced her deeply, kissing her with all his passion. He let his hands travel his new wife's body, exploring territory that has never been conquered. She gasped as Neji ran his tongue between her shoulder and neck. She felt as if she was born again. All the feeling and pent up emotion thrashing out of her heart like in a fury wish of closer contact. She grabbed his head and made him kiss her another time. Their lips parted and tongues danced in the crook of their mouths. Ino forcefully turn around Neji so she was on top of him. Neji sent her a weird look but when she started to take off his shirt he smirked.

Ino let her hands wander all over his broad chest and firm muscles. She discovered that she loved touching his shoulders so she seductively ran her tongue along the nape of his neck to his shoulder and then to his chest. This time Neji let out a moan of pleasure. Ino grinned and then Neji pulled her closer, unbuttoning her top. Neji then changed to their past position. He discovered that Ino was indeed a very sexy woman. Her arms were slim and the skin of her shoulders and chest was even paler than the one on her face. Although she still had her bra on, he could see her hardened nipples through it. Ino felt very nervous about Neji seeing her body, but at the look of him when her chest was exposed, she felt like a goddess.

Neji threw away the garment and grabbed her breasts, massaging them up and down in a rhythmic motion. They were the perfect size. Not too little not too big. They fit perfectly between his strong hands. Ino moaned over and over again as he continued his erotical massage. She felt wet between her legs and then she pleaded for him to make her his.

Neji saw the way she looked at him and in an instant her skirt was discarded. He could see through her panties that she was very wet. He admired her curvy body. Her long pale legs fitted her slim waist and perky breasts so perfectly that it was hard to contain the growing bulk on his pants. Ino blushed furiously. Neji was licking his lips and looking at her at the same time! Neji lent down to her mouth and kiss her one more time before he directed his tongue to her hardened nipples. Ino moaned deeply at the contact of his wild tongue in her nipple. He then directed his hand to the part between her legs. He felt her wetness and then he started massaging the area with his fingers. A shot of electricity ran through her whole body and she knew that if he stopped by now she would die.

After some minutes of Neji's ministrations, Ino decided that it was time to make him lose control too. So she grabbed him by his shoulders and turned him around. She then lowered her head and kissed him slightly. "Now it's my turn" she said smirking. She then grabbed his pants and pulled them off. She saw through his boxers that he was very turn on so she grinned mischievously. Neji then read her mind and he started to panic. Ino lowered his boxers and slowly grabbed his erection with her hand. She started rubbing it until Neji couldn't help but moan. She grinned and then she licked the tip of his penis. She then put his member in her mouth and started sucking it.

Neji couldn't believe the pleasure he was receiving. How was she so good? He then felt that he was reaching the climax so he moaned loudly and white liquid came out of his member. Ino licked all of it and then she looked at him. He had this expression that made her think that he was in heaven.

Neji then grabbed her by the hips. He sat and then he kissed her passionately. A hot feverish kiss that prepared them to what would consume the act of love and their marriage. Neji looked at her intently. She nodded and then he put her below him. He entered her slowly and she felt pain curse through all her body. She shouted but then she smiled at him to continue. He pushed into her harder and faster, each time Ino shouting his name, a pool of blood coming out of her. He looked at her worriedly but then she said something that surprised him. "This is my first time, don't worry. I love you…" He smiled and felt his love increasing even more.

He felt her walls pressing his already growing member and then he felt a shockwave that travelled all of his length. She was so tight that it hurt but then the pleasure time came. He felt as if Ino and he were one. Connecting each other by body, mind and heart. He felt complete with her. And there wasn't a way for someone or something to separate them.

**Gaahina chan: …TT. This is something I really thought about for some time. I mean this fic. All this idea came to me one day after I woke up. Please review and be gentle. My lemon isn't that great, I think. And sorry, but I think chapter 4 is going to be a little late because I'm passing through a writer's block.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Gaahina chan: Okay, hate me, despise me, but please give my fic a chance. I know I'm very late so I apologize. I don't' have excuses. I had this huge writer's block and then a few days ago an idea came to me so here it is. **

**Disclaimer: I'm getting tired of this. Doesn't the fact of writing here makes obvious that I don't own Naruto?**

_**Until you eyes don't shine**_

_**Chapter **__**4**_

_**by Gaahina chan**_

**-o-**

**5 months later**

_I remember when I was little. __People used to get fun out of me. Always looking on the outside, not into the inside. It made me sad that I was alone. I couldn't do anything because I was so weak and helpless. That is until you came. You were beautiful, so carefree and smiling up at me. You gave me the little things I wanted from a person. Care, love, everything I hoped for, you gave it to me. _

_Each day we travelled large flower fields and we carried them to exchange. You used to tell me the meaning of each flower. You said that pink flowers described me the best. They were delicate, fragile and beautiful. I thought that you were very clever and so you became my best friend in only a couple of days. We used to spend all day long together doing whatever stuff that occurred in our minds. Yet, you said that when you weren't with me, I had to be strong. Because if you weren't there I felt a little weak. I felt scared that people would come again and make fun of me. _

_So time passed and we grew stronger. That's when something happened. A stupid decision from me destroyed our friendship. All we spent together was left behind because of some childish complex. We weren't friends and so we grew up apart, learning ninja techniques, always competing of who was better than the other one. _

_We couldn't find the answer to that…_

_Time went by and then I realized that I was wrong. In the past I thought that people was unfair with me because they didn't see the real me. They judge me by appearance and none of them would comply with my pleadings. Yet you did. That's when I thought that I left you because of the same reason everyone despised me. I couldn't help but feel guilty. I couldn't see through him, inside him, that he wasn't as valuable as you were. He didn't show me care or love like you did. _

_I wasn't as clever as you…_

_I came to the fact that I wanted your friendship back. I wanted you in my life as a friend, as a sister that I never had, not a rival. That's when it occurred. War. A bloody and cruel war came to Konoha. Many people died. And many people are still dying. I'm praying that you are alive. I left you there alone again because I wanted to help one of my other precious people._

_But it was reckless and stupid. All in vain. As far as I can remember, the last thing I heard and saw was Naruto growling in pain. His body was covered in blood and an enormous chakra surrounded him fiercely. As if eating him, he disappeared into the flames and then I saw black._

-o-

When Sakura came to her senses, she was in a bed covered with many bandages. Her head hurt and her throat was dry. You could feel the intense heat enveloping the few bodies that occupied the place. She turned and saw many villagers. An old woman came to her and told her that she was safe in here. That's when Sakura knew where she was.

Suna.

Sakura pushed herself up and looked at the surroundings. At least she was 2 days away from Konoha. She couldn't go back because of the circumstances. She didn't want to accept it but the logical thing that could happen was that Naruto had died because of his huge chakra and his body injuries. All that power was very harming and without her or Yamato sensei he wouldn't survive one day like that.

Sakura then examined her own body. She was healthy and no severe injuries were present. It seemed that the Suna medic nins were very efficient in this matter. The only thing that was out of place was her huge hunger. She turned to the woman that spoke to her and then she ate some fruits and noodles. At that moment, Sakura felt her world breaking. It was ramen, Naruto's favourite food. It was then that Sakura started crying.

-o-

I wasn't aware of it until a few days later. We were efficiently advancing without problems. She looked very carefree and so happy to me. It made me love her even more, if possible. She said I looked different too. That I smiled more frequently and that it made her very happy. I laughed at the thought that something so simple can make her happy, but then again, I didn't smiled that many times in the past… when she was not with me…

One day, it started to rain so we had to find shelter with a roof. With my byakugan I detected a fine place, but something was out of place. I sensed a very rare chakra that in the past I couldn't see. Yet I couldn't locate it until a ninja attacked us without previous call. It surprised me that it was a woman. A little girl I mean. She was little, and her hair was long and red. She had this sword that looked very fragile but I didn't trust her. Ino took her fighting stance and so did I.

The girl was quick and with my gentle fist I could get some chakra out of her system, but that wasn't the problem. For some reason, Ino was slower than before and so I had to protect her from the finishing blows of the red haired girl. The little girl noticed my intentions so she turned to Ino and prepared her sword. Blue chakra surrounded the weapon and the girl smirked. Ino's eyes remained focused on her sword but the girl was quicker than I thought. I carried my body to the place where Ino was and performed a Kaiten. The girl came crashing into the ground, dead. I wasn't surprised because she received her attack with double force. Ino gasped and she knelt down. Sweat drops were adorning her forehead and her eyes were unfocused and trembling. She looked as if she was going to faint at any moment. I asked her if she was fine but then she started screaming uncontrollably.

"Why! Why this does happens to me! Why am I so weak?! Everyone is dead and now…" she said tears starting to fall down. I didn't understand her predicament but I couldn't let her feel like that. I gazed at her worriedly. She embraced me and whispered something into my ear.

"Please don't let me fall Neji. You are all I have" she said her head dropping into my shoulder. I started to shake her but she didn't respond. That's when I found it. That rare chakra, was beating slowly all around me.

-o-

"Eat it." Neji gave Ino a very red apple. They were very far away from Konoha. It seemed that the troops weren't chasing them anymore because many days have passed and they haven't seen anybody in the course. Neji came to the conclusion that they were safe, for now. They were now in some region of the wind country. He left his thoughts when he heard Ino chewing her apple. He looked at her expectantly. She ate it slowly and then she felt him staring.

"It's nice. You want some?" she said her mouth covered with the apple's juice. He shook his head and then she ate the entire apple. Her tongue licked her lips and then she savoured the rest of the juices in her mouth. Neji felt his mouth dry. All that little actions made him want to pin her to a tree and kiss her feverishly. He contained his impulses as she sat beside him.

"Ne. Aren't we a bit hot?" she said playing with his hair. He stared at her incredulously and then he felt her soft lips on his neck. He moaned pleasantly and then she moved her tongue swiftly. "You know…It's been awhile since we don't see troops. Why don't we go back and search for more people?"

Neji turned his face and stared at her eyes. She seemed confident enough. "That's very risky Ino. They might be surrounding Konoha." He said playing with her hair.

Ino sat on his lap facing him. "I want to find Sakura and the others. Why not go to some nearby village? We can check swiftly and if we don't find anything within 5 days we can come back. Not Konoha, I promise" She said resting her forehead on his.

Neji kept thinking. Ino seemed very desperate. He also wanted to find more people but he couldn't help but to worry about Ino's safety. Now more than anything she needed rest. "If we come to crash with a troop I might not protect you for very long" Neji said frowning. He didn't want her to think that she was a burden, but with the past few things that had happened Neji knew that she wasn't in the best of her senses. He didn't like a bit the idea. "I won't be a burden Neji. I'm strong too. We are a very good team and also we didn't catch any enemy because of your byakugan".

"But what about your-"

"I'll be careful Neji. I promise. If you sense some kind of danger we will come back to this point. You know I'm very stubborn so please let me do this. I won't give up until you say yes" She said smiling.

Neji sighed... He stared at her body and then he stopped at her stomach. "You should buy new clothes. It might get cold"

-o-

"Temari san! Have you received some kind of information from Konoha? Any message? A bird? "The pink haired kunoichi asked the sand jounin.

"I'm sorry Sakura" she frowned. "We haven't' received anything. We are still sending ninjas to Konoha to find something but they haven't returned". Temari kept walking, Sakura behind her.

"But there has to be something!" The blond turned to Sakura and examined her eyes. She saw that she was at the border of tears and that her soul was slowly dying.

"For now, all you can do is wait. We still can't afford to attack if we don't investigate the situation. Your friends are smart. Pray for them and prepare for the worst"

Sakura's eyes closed and then she stared seriously at Temari. "Then I'll go search for them. I can't wait. I want to find my friends and make sure they are alright." Temari remained patient and then she smiled. "Then let me help you with your equipment"

"Thanks Temari san" Sakura smiled.

-o-

2 days have passed after Sakura left Suna. She had all the necessary medicine for poison, open wounds, fractures and many other basic supplies for long time missions. She had her chakra at its full capacity. And her mind was focused on her friends.

With efficiency, the pink haired kunoichi travelled the large desert. Her legs were silent, so her breathing. Her eyes examined every part of the scenery. She wasn't scared, yet she was a vulnerable prey. Temari had to go arrange some terms with her brother so she couldn't come, and so Sakura didn't want to wait.

All those years training in the academy, with her sensei and other battles were about to consume in this final mission. She was preparing for the worst now. All she had to do was go back to Konoha to check if there were people nearby. Yet, she knew that the enemy was concentrating there. She knew it because it was there were Naruto stayed. She knew that behind that entire massacre there was an objective. The logical thing would be to obtain the large clan's techniques, Naruto, or the Hokage's murder. By now, she was very sure that the families' heads were far stronger than any normal jounin, so she didn't worry about them. The Hokage's murder was a very disturbing thought. Tsunade was like her second mother for her, but she knew that she wasn't an easy prey. She would be fine. But then, it was Naruto who occupied her thoughts. Although the most probable thing was that he died, she still had her hopes. Maybe he controlled his chakra after that, or maybe Yamato sensei came after and freed Naruto from Kyuubi. How should she know? She didn't. She just kept reasoning with her mind the possible causes for this attack. She wouldn't know until this ended. Or maybe not.

_I'm strong. I can live. I can save my friends. I can't give up now._

She kept repeating the little mantra in her head. All those days being alone with no one to help her made her very fearful. It was a miracle that Suna saved her. She thought she would die. Her forehead was getting wet because of the unbearable heat. She wiped the sweat and then she smiled.

"_Hey forehead girl! I won't lose to you ever!"_

"I might lose this one Ino. I hope you are okay." Sakura thought as trees came to the view, sensing an abnormal chakra.

-o-

"Neji, where are we?""Shh… I can feel something, let me check."

_Byakugan!_

Black and white images appeared before his eyes, the constant beating of his heart pounding in his ears. He scanned every corner, every small bit of image that projected his unusual eyes. There was something wrong. He knew that the sand village was near but he couldn't sense any chakra. At this time, the night lights had to be turned on but the entire land was covered with darkness. "What the hell happened here?" he thought. He focused his eyes to farther places and all he could see was emptiness. No people, no sound, no anything. All there was in the village were empty houses and a furious sandstorm covering them.

"Neji I feel bad" Ino said from behind. Neji turned and saw Ino's pale face. She looked weak and something was wrong with her chakra. It flowed in a very fast speed all along in her chakra system. He took her hand in his then he applied pressure on some points, without hurting her. Slowly but successfully, the chakra slowed its pace. She then gave Neji's hand a light shake. She smiled and then she kissed his lips.

"Thanks babe" she said as she closed her eyes and started breathing slowly. Neji shook his head. Ino was in a very strange health state. She seemed like drugged or something; her system was crazy and now she was sleeping. He lifted her and then he began running towards Suna. There had to be some doctor in there to check on her.

-o-

In the distance, two shadows could be seen running. Furious sand waves were crashing with the raging winds. Neji had some difficulty seeing through it but he couldn't let Ino be like this. He knew that this was a bad idea but he was desperate. With long fast paces he arrived at what seemed a hospital. He began checking all the rooms but no one was there.

"Is someone there?" a weak voice whispered. Neji activated his byakugan and saw a woman in a weak state not too far away. Her arms lay limply beside her, her head resting on the wall and her eyes were half open.

"Miss, what happened here?" Neji asked in a low tone.

"Be careful, they are nearby…" she said before her eyes closed.

"Dammit! What now?!" Neji yelled as he stared at the now dead nurse. That's when he noticed. A small amount of chakra was surrounding her. It was the same strange chakra that those men used in their fight. He saw that there was a space where the chakra wasn't present around the woman. "What's this?" He thought as he touched the strange chakra. Neji jerked away form the chakra as he noticed that his fingers were slowly disappearing.

Neji surprisingly gasped but when he touched his fingers with his other hand he knew that it was a type of genjutsu.

"So this is why. I didn't know that such a technique could exist. Making disappear things with a so low chakra level. It is very amusing. But then, there has to be many people in here." He then placed Ino on a nearby bed. By now, her breathing was shallow and her mouth open. He kissed her cheek and then he walked to the hall.

"Hello!! Can anyone hear me?! Please! If there's someone alive in here please yell!"

Neji's ears heard nothing. A not very silent breeze came form a window and now he knew that they were alone. Maybe in the Kazekage's office he could find something, he thought. Neji put Ino on his back and swiftly began to run towards the Kazekage's office.

When he arrived, he noticed that all the building was in complete darkness. He travelled the long halls that lead to what seemed the principal room. When he was about to touch the doorknob, he heard someone.

"Who's there?! Don't even try to make a move, I've installed a special barrier that destroys everything when it's touched!" a woman said.

"Please! We came from Konoha. We need help. This is Hyuuga Neji and Yamanaka Ino" he said.

"Ino!" The woman ran towards the door and saw Ino laying in Neji's back. She looked like she was about to collapse. Neji looked at the agitated Temari. She had this huge bruise in the side of her abdomen with a gash covering it.

"Oh my god! Is she alright?" Temari said letting Neji pass.

"She is very weak and I don't know why. She just fell asleep and hasn't recovered" Neji said putting Ino on the Kazekage's desk. Temari looked at her. Her breathing was normal but she had this strange pale colour on her skin.

"I think I know why." Temari said as she opened one of the desk's drawers. "Here. Open her mouth and give her this" Temari said as she handed him a bottle with an orange liquid. Carefully, Neji made Ino swallow all the beverage. She then opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings. When she saw Neji, she smiled and then she looked at Temari who smiled at her.

"Temari san! I'm glad to see you!" Ino said as she sat and hugged her. Temari responded and smiled at the kunoichi. "You make me worry very much Ino" Neji said interrupting the affectionate gesture. "I'm sorry Neji. I don't know what happened. I just remember falling asleep on your back" Ino said. She then directed her gaze towards Temari and saw the deep wound in her side.

"Temari san! Let me help you." Ino said already accumulating chakra in her hands. Temari nodded and lay down on the desk. Ino removed the clothing and then she cleaned the wound with her gash. "Who did this to you?" Neji asked as Ino continued the procedure. "Some strange ninjas. They had this weird style of fighting but I was able to survive. I saw many people dying. I survived because I concealed my chakra and locked myself in the closet" Temari said. "So that's why I didn't saw you. Still, we can't let our guard down. They might be close" Neji said. "Yeah, but I'm more worried about Sakura" she said. "She's alive?! Where did she go?!" Ino said abruptly. "Oi calm down Ino. She left 2 days ago to Konoha. She left alone so that's why I am worried" Temari said standing up.

"Neji! We have to go for her! She can still be alive!" Ino said grabbing Neji's shirt. "Please Ino. Calm down. I f we go now, in your condition, we might not survive" Neji said reasoning. "But I'm fine now! I feel very powerful. I won't be a burden. I promise!" Ino said already welling tears. That's when Temari confirmed her thoughts. What she gave to Ino was a special potion that revitalize woman in her condition. And considering her abnormal chakra along with her strange shape, she concluded something.

Ino was pregnant.

-o-

**Gaahina chan: I know I put a lot of drama in Sakura's memories but hey, I'm very dramatic. Please review. I don't know when I will post the next chapter, but you can be sure that I will post it. See you next time ;D.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Gaahina chan: I know you want to kill me. xD But please bear with me. I had a difficult study season but now that I'm on vacations and without writer's block I'm able to continue this. Please enjoy, and sorry if the battles aren't good.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

_**Until your eyes don't shine**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**By Gaahina chan**_

"Neji please! You know how stubborn I am. I won't let Sakura fight alone! Not now that I know she's alive!" Ino said already welling tears. When Neji was about to speak he sensed something.

"Careful!" Neji said as a huge weapon crushed the wall in front of them. Temari gasped and Ino felt Neji's hands in her waist.

"Damn, they discovered us" Neji said as he prepared to fight. Ino took her fighting stance and Temari took out her fan.

As the dust dissipated they saw a big man with an axe in the back. His eyes were dark red and his wicked smiled made Ino uneasy. "I have to find Sakura… she's my friend" Ino thought as the man glared at her. Quickly Neji ran towards the man and hit various tenketsu but the man seemed unaffected. "What the hell" Neji thought as he saw that the man's chakra flowed freely through his body. "Did I miss?" Neji thought but as soon as the man moved Temari used her fan and the man landed outside the building.

"I'll distract him! You go now!" Temari said as she jumped into the soft sand. "We will not leave you!" Ino said as she too jumped. They landed and the man laughed at them. "You Hyuuga member, you are so foolish!" the man said as he pointed to Neji. Neji got pissed and closed the distance between him and the enemy. He quickly performed the 64 palm jutsu but when he was done he received a harsh blow in his gut. Neji gasped and blood came out of his mouth. "How can he attack me when I block all his chakra flow?" Neji said as he stood up. "Neji! Are you okay?" Ino said as she ran to him. "I'm fine…" Neji sighed.

"You fucking ugly monster! Now this is personal!" Ino said glaring at the man.

"And what are you going to do little bitch?" the man laughed as he took out his axe. Ino made some hand signs and then she closed her eyes. Neji didn't know what she was doing but he trusted her. As the man was about to throw his axe towards Ino, she quickly extended and arm and the man's arm extended like hers. She smirked and then she laughed. "I got you…" she said as she bent her arm and the man growled in pain. She then bent both her arms and then she separated her legs. The man continued screaming and then he coughed blood. "Well then? How does it feel to feel your bones breaking with such simple movements" Ino said smirking. "This is for you people who took away my father. This technique was the last one he taught me." She said as she ended the technique and the man fell. Ino sat and then she started breathing hard.

"Ino! You okay?" Temari ran to her. "Yeah I'm fine. Is just that this is the first time I've done this jutsu and it consumes a lot of chakra." Ino said smiling. She then went to Neji and smiled at him. "You were great" He said approvingly. "Thanks" Ino said kissing him lightly. "How did you do that?" He asked curiously. "Well I controlled his movements by transferring a part of my mind, but not everything because then I would be unconscious. And I broke his bones by making a huge chakra mass in his body that even his huge muscles couldn't sustain" She said proudly. He smiled and then Temari approached the couple. "Are you going to Konoha?" Temari asked. Neji nodded. "Sorry, but I won't be able to go with you. I have to make sure that my brothers are okay. They went to a nearby village. Please be careful" Temari said as she ran away. "I'll protect you and our baby with my life" Neji said staring at Ino. "So do I".

-o-

Sakura could see in the distance the gates of Konoha. She no longer felt the pressure of Naruto's huge chakra. She kept walking only to sense something. Quickly and efficiently, she hid in a nearby tree and made a genjutsu that camouflaged her. She waited only to see many men passing by in front of her. They were 5. She kept silent but one man stopped and stared at the suspicious tree. Sakura felt that her genjutsu was giving away so when the man was about to attack she jumped and landed with a powerful punch in the earth. All five men jumped into the trees evading her attack. Sakura gritted her teeth and prepared to fight. The five men took their respective stances and Sakura grew nervous.

"I have to be brave. I must live" she said accumulating chakra on her palms and feet. She jumped towards one man and was about to kick him when another man came from behind and kicked her in the back. Sakura landed only to jump another time, this time attacking the man who kicked her. She screamed but the man disappeared. Then she felt a presence behind her and in an instant there was a needle in her left arm. She screamed painfully and then she rubbed the now reddish area.

"Dammit, there are too many… If I could only make them loose their balance for a second I could hit them…But how?" she thought as she evaded their attacks. She was fast enough to keep her distance but she knew she couldn't escape nor win with only evading their attacks. Then she came up with a plan. She quickly made some shadow clones and although she knew it was very risky, she was determined to do it.

One clone advanced and punched the land, but the men jumped. Then another 3 clones came behind them and kicked the trees were the enemy stood. Three men fell and the clones advanced towards them, punching them in the back of their heads. As another man was about to attack the real Sakura, another clone came and kicked the man in the gut. Sakura sighed but didn't notice another man hiding in a rock behind her. When she was about to turn she saw the man already directing a punch with that rare chakra surrounding it. She screamed but the punch never connected. When she opened her eyes she saw something very unexpected.

"I won't let anyone hurt Sakura san in my youthful presence!"

-o-

Ino and Neji walked towards Konoha the faster they could. They knew that running wasn't an option because of Ino's condition.

Ino was very concerned. Lately she had been feeling these weird sensations in her belly. She felt her baby kicking but didn't say anything because Neji would be worried. She also felt more steamy and with more nausea. As Ino felt pain in her belly, Neji noticed her painful expression.

"It seems that the symptoms are getting stronger" Neji said supporting Ino.

"Yeah but I still want to continue. I can handle these changes. It would be a problem when the contractions begin" Ino said and Neji nodded.

"It has been almost 6 months Ino…Are you going to be okay?" Neji asked worriedly.

"1 month I think. Although normally the pregnancy takes between 37 and 42 weeks, I think that our baby is going to be premature. This war has been stressing me out very much and that affects greatly the delivery. Neji we have to hurry up." Ino said starting to walk again. They were very close to Konoha, yet they knew that there was a highly chance that enemies would appear.

-o-

Sakura opened her eyes. She was inside a cave. She inspected the place and saw Lee in the entrance. She stood up and smiled at him. If he hadn't come, she would be dead.

"Thanks Lee san" she said affectionately. "I will always protect you Sakura san" he said with the nice guy pose. She laughed then she felt very happy. It was relieving that someone had survived the massacre, for so long.

"I'm glad you are alive Sakura san. After what happened to Naruto kun, I thought that everyone would be dead" Lee said seriously.

"Do you know what happened to him?" Sakura asked worriedly. Lee shook his head.

"The last time I saw him, he was surrounded by this powerful, red chakra. He was screaming in pain but I couldn't help him. I had to get away because the pressure was very harming." Lee said with regret, he didn't want to leave Naruto alone.

"It's okay Lee san, I had to do the same." Sakura said sadly. She then stood up and made a genjutsu that camouflaged the entrance. She knew that Lee couldn't do genjutsu.

"I wonder…where everyone is. I couldn't help Gai sensei, and I don't know if Neji and Tenten are okay. Gai sensei… he risked his life for me. I hope he's fine." He sighed. Sakura felt sadness. It was depressing to see the green beast of Konoha so destroyed.

After awhile, she spoke. "Don't lose your trust on Gai sensei, Lee san. You know he's strong. You have to believe in him. He'll be okay… "Sakura said trying to comfort Lee. Lee nodded and decided that it was dumb to preoccupy in this situation. He had to be strong, for his friends, for Sakura and for his beloved sensei.

"I'll go back to Konoha, to see if there are survivors." Lee said gaining back his courage. "I'll go with you Lee san, but first, let me cure your injuries". He nodded.

-o-

"Byakugan!" Neji scanned the surroundings. Konoha was like 1 km ahead. He was determined to protect Ino, and she seemed also confident. Although the pain was a little strong, Neji knew that Ino could handle it. She was very strong willed and powerful.

"Do you see anyone?" Ino asked and Neji shook his head. "Wait, I see people; most likely enemies. There are 5 and they are dead in the ground" Neji said as he made a sign for Ino to approach. "It's clear" he said and they started to walk.

When they arrived at the fight scene, Ino inspected the landscape and realized something.

"Sakura did this. Look at the ground. It's destroyed but the cracks come from one specific point." She pointed to the hole which probably was where Sakura punched the ground. Neji nodded. It was true, maybe she's still alive.

"Wait, look at this man. He is out of the range of the cracks and the signs of hit are different from the other men. There was another person here" Neji concluded. He tried to decipher who was but the signs of battle were only a side bruise in the man's head that probably broke his neck. He thought about someone but he didn't want to get his hopes up.

"Let's advance some more. Maybe Sakura is nearby" Neji said but Ino stopped him. "Quiet…I heard something" Ino said grabbing his wrist. Both listened intently but didn't hear anything. They took one step and quickly one woman appeared.

"You are going to die here" she said as she advanced towards Ino, but Neji appeared in front of her. He made a Kaiten but the girl jumped back. The girl smirked and quickly performed a genjutsu which made her disappear into a whirl.

"Byakugan!" Neji gasped as he saw the chakra patterns. She was everywhere around them. The girl vanished into what seemed chakra air. "

"Neji! What's happening?!" Ino said as a ray of chakra hit her in the wound of her arm. She screamed and fell down to the ground. The pain was excruciating. Neji was about to run towards her but another ray came out of nowhere hitting him on the gut. He gasped but didn't stop.

"Ino!" he was about to touch her but she disappeared. "What!" Neji turned but only saw darkness. He couldn't even see his hands.

"You foolish Hyuuga! Haven't you noticed? This is a derivation of your techniques combined with a powerful genjutsu."

Neji gasped and then he realized something. This technique was similar to the one Hinata created. But it was combined with a genjutsu in which she dissipated into air.

"What did you do to Hinata sama?!! He said out raggedly. The girl only laughed and then a bunch of rays appeared.

"I don't have time to deal with this kid. I'll counterattack!" he thought as he performed a technique similar to the Kaiten but instead of rotating and release chakra he made a barrier with chakra rays just like the one Hinata did. The rays collided but Neji was faster than that. He made some chakra release from his members and quickly the total battle zone was decorated with blue sparkling rays. In an instant Neji could see the girl falling form a tree, dead. Not too far away Neji heard a scream and ran to check on Ino.

Ino fell down but Neji quickly caught her. "Don't worry. It's over" he whispered in her ear. She nodded, smiling.

-o-

"Lee san what-" "shhhh" Lee indicated as they approached the gates of the village. They hid in nearby bushes not making any sound. Through leaves, Lee saw that men with swords were carrying some bodies inside the village. When the men passed in front of them, Sakura directed her eyes towards the corpses. They all seemed to be jounins and anbus. To her dismay, she saw there Kakashi sensei. She couldn't handle it and then she turned around, but she had made some noise so the men noticed them.

"Come out or else…" the men said. Lee gritted his teeth and then he looked at Sakura. She was in shock. Her whole body was trembling so was her unsure eyes. She remained still so Lee concluded that she wasn't prepared for a fight. He came out and looked at the men. They were 3.

"Look what we have here. A funny kid that acts like he's the king of the world." The man laughed at Lee and he just positioned himself. The men got irritated and started advancing at him. Lee waited and when he saw the chance he evaded their attacks and kicked one of them in the back. The man gasped but another man came from behind, punching Lee in the cheek.

Lee massaged his swollen cheek and then he prepared to attack. When he was about to run towards them, the men suddenly made some weird signs. Lee saw that many chakra was gathering around them, forming a big green barrier. Lee didn't know what to do so he threw a bunch of kunai that fell down when they connected with the chakra. Unable to do something, Lee looked at Sakura who was still in shock. He didn't like this. He didn't know any ninjutsu or genjutsu and Sakura wasn't in the condition to fight so he was at disadvantage.

"What would Gai sensei do…?" Lee asked himself as the men advanced towards him, all of them surrounded by that rare chakra. "Of course! He wouldn't give up and fight with all his might for his comrades" he thought as he looked at Sakura. When the men were about to punch him he evaded their attacks and got near Sakura. He shook her and tried to get her out of the shock but it was useless. He remained in front of her and prepared for another attack. When the men were about to punch him Lee made an attempt to hit them but the men evaded it efficiently. Lee sighed and decided that he'll have to use _that._

"It's just like when I fought Gaara, but now it seems that the barrier is permanent. There has to be some weak point on that chakra bubble…If Neji was here…" he thought as he removed the weights on his ankles. The men laughed and he smirked. He had velocity in his side. When Lee started to run the men couldn't follow him with their eyes, and Lee grinned. He came up from behind one man and punched him but the barrier protected him.

"Damn, I have to get rid of that barrier…but how?" Lee thought as the men approached him once more. "Lee san… maybe I can help you" Sakura said from behind, tears clouding her green eyes. "Sakura san!" Lee ran by her side but she shook her head.

"I'll distract them. That barrier can't protect them from below…" she said as she grinned. Sakura screamed and then she punched the land, very hard. The men jumped, but Lee threw a kunai with an explosive into the trees making them fall down. "Go ahead Sakura san!" Sakura nodded and punched the ground one more time. The men couldn't balance themselves and fell down, making an opening in the barrier. Lee with all his speed kicked one man but the other two also kicked him.

"Agh…I can't believe I lost that chance… They recover very fast." He said lifting himself up. The men grinned and Sakura and Lee took a step back.

"Don't hesitate Lee! I'll make you an opening" a voice said from behind them.

-o-

**Gaahina chan: I hope I don't get another block. The good news is that I have some major ideas. The next chapter will be the last one. Until the next chapter! **


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